Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-04-09

. keeTlnc d secret, 'snSlnx birus, meaning
tale bearers, story tcllers; i viii place you
under my wings and suffer no grass to grow
under your feet, or no grass shall grow on
the war path
Il know II Is the fashion, continued the
red mans friend, ito denounce tine Injun
character, and tn echo Gen Sheridan's cpl
gram about all good iniuns being dead ones
But let me tell You that in one respect at
least the lnjun, in his uncorrupted state was
superior to his present SUCCESSOR As master of
the soil, and that was As citizen His at
tachment for his tribe was remarkable
There have been few lniun traitors In their
love Of country they were proof against all
temptation and fear. Ii we had a few
luJunS in our bi; cities now, and could
naturalize them and elect them aldermen and
county commissioners we'd he better of The
honor of an lnJun's tribe and the welfare Of
his nation were always first to I've considered
personal prosperity or advancement l..lng in.
varlahly Of secondary importance
There's another thing about the In iun
Take him a. man, among his people. one OF
his most prominent characteristics was that
of due respect for the individual rights Of
others Tn lnIun was never IA til. f until the
white man taught him how to steal h. never
trihesman'> h"r~, nor his friends wife The
Indian has b-eu charged with thi.verv, but
as between him and the white man history
records the fact that the latter was the tr>,
offender. The first L,rceny committed in thi,
country was 10y a lartv of Plymouth Rock
Puritans While exploring the country for
site for a new settlement they found a guam
tity of corn stortsl up by the Ia juu, for win
ter The crib. t,,t II
men didn't know that there wns such "A thing
as stealing-ani the Puritans 'ooI, the corn
and carried 1t away. Some olngiSt for the
PuritanS has said the anC,Sfr New England
srs intended to recompenSe the Indians for
the property so taken wherever they could
find them, but history does MT record that they
ever found the identical Injuns who owned
the corn and paid them therefor Th., expla-
nation is not very satisfactory, at any rate
when We take into consideration the fact that
the Puritans at this time were armed with
guns and swords, and in pursuit Of the In
Juns. small and peaceable trihe. Perhaps
they were merely chasing the Iniuns to re-
compenSe them for the corn. In native Injun
life but one crime is known to their society
murder, and for this the penalty is death
With the red man the penalty was inflicted
~ S'haV ~ drSl " ullt
men hire lerSon called a hansman to do the
same thing. No tr1,e son of the forest could
lie induced to assume the position OF an exc
cutioner for mere p-ecuniarv consideration.
1T Is not impossible that the primal idea of
an American republic WAS borrowed from
the Injuns They We're the original Repub-
leans. Their government was not one Of
force, but OF acluiesceuce on the part of the
4. a l. 4
Councils were frequent, and in council age,
experience, wisdom ana bravery countel for
more than rank. They had no ballot box,
but war chiefs were selected for their deeds
Of valor in the field, while continuity and sta
bility of government were generally secured
by maxim. the office Of civil chief, or patri-
arch, hereditary.
Civilization has often sneered at the In
Juns fantastic dress, his painted face, his
grim ornaments and his exposure OF his
breast and arms. But let me give you some
facts abou, this dress matter. True. the In
jun paints his face, but 50 does the white
woman, the difference being that the red
mans paint signifies something-his rank,
some of his feats in battle or the chase or
his reputation for wisdom or bravery-while
the white woman's paint is Used simply out OF !
vanity and for purposes OF deception. The |
sane is true of the hird claws which the In (
jun wears suspended about his neck. They
mean something, rs do the qrills. the scalIs |
OF animals or enemies with which his person
is adorned. But doesn't the woman of civ
ilization wear bird claws and feathers, too,
and the skins Of animals, merely To lie fash
ionable, and without any significance what /
ever of character OF individuality Every |
thing an mi inn wears in the way OF orna-
ment every line painted on his face has its I
significance, and is, from his point of view,
a proper part of his individuality !
In civilization it is right the other
way. Here We destroy individuality
and do our best 70 ape one another
Or course the lnjun has been corrupted BY
his association with white men, but in his |
native state his general character-virtually
without vice as ali individual. intensely patri-
otic, invariably respectful TO the aged, truth
full, brave-was as well worthy Of admiration
ss ANYTHING that can lie found in history"
Elijah, it will lie seen, has great confidence
in the red man, and has reasons 10 give for
the faith that is in him-a faith which was
strong enough 10 survive the discouraging
failure Of "A test which he made q year or two
since. Having taking a liking TO an Ojibway
lChippewal youth whom he saw during a
visit To the reservation of that tribe, Elijah
brought the youth to Illinois and set him to
work on the farm. He WIS tall, noble look
nS fellow, with an eagle eve and raven hair,
proud and self contained, and for a time his
patron fonily exhibited him 10 all visitors
Three months later that son of the forest had
secome a drunken. lazy lout, and such a ter
-ur To the hen ruosts and women of the neigh
,orhcod that Elijah was compelled TO send
lim back 10 the reservation. "All due to the
vii influences Of civilizatipn-demoralized by
utilization" says Elijah.
WALTER WELLMAS